EDINBURGH 2025: Review: A GAMBLER'S GUIDE TO DYING, Traverse
A Gambler's Guide to Dying runs at the Traverse Theatre until 24 August
By: Natalie O'Donoghue Aug. 03, 2025
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Written and performed by Gary McNair, A Gambler’s Guide to Dying is a story about a grandfather who bet everything he had on his own death.
In 1966, Grandad made a lot of money placing a winning bet on the World Cup. He never discloses how much he made but he has refused to spend a penny he never earned. Fast forward to the late 90s and he has received a terminal cancer diagnosis. He then decides to place the biggest bet of his life- to defy the odds and survive to the millennium.
2025 marks the 10-year anniversary since A Gambler’s Guide To Dying was first staged at the Traverse Theatre and it feels as fresh as it ever did. McNair is a master storyteller, building and breaking tension with ease. The imagery is vivid as he regales stories of illicit jammy dodgers and being allowed to bet at 11 years old.
The picture that is built of Grandad is an exciting and adventurous one, but he is also an addict and a liar. Does that make him any less of a hero to this wee boy? Absolutely not.
The old-fashioned living room setting gives this a cozy feel and is the perfect environment for this touching story from a gifted performer and writer.
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